Daddy
by Gemmika
Summary: As Fumino and Kazuma prepare to expand their family, Kazuma is determined to put his past behind him and be the best husband and father he can possibly be.
1. Announcement

My fandom bestie has been having some difficulties with work lately, so I figured I would surprise her with the unveiling of my new series that I've been working on just for her. Love you, Shannon! I hope you enjoy lots of Daddy!Kazuma moments.

A/N: This story will be a collection of short scenes and long chapters about Fumino and Kazuma having their first child. That said, some scenes will be fluffy, some smutty and some maybe a bit angsty. I don't know how many there will be yet, but we'll see how it plays out. Hope everyone can enjoy some Kazuma/Fumino goodness with me :)

Hands opened and closed, fidgety, sweaty, as Fumino waited for the video chat to connect. Some nights it took a long time for their connections to sync up, and other times it happened right away. Tonight, a night where she actually had _news_ for her husband, the connection seemed to be taking forever. Finally, the video feed flickered, and there was her beloved Sensei on her screen, smiling just as tenderly as he always did for her.

"Hello, my lovely wife. Aren't you a sight for sore eyes?"

A flush crept up her cheeks at his sappy greeting, but she was pleased. Even though it had been difficult being apart these last four years, it kept them in a constant state of newlywed bliss. It was difficult to fight when they rarely got to speak at all.

"I've missed you," she said by way of greeting. Her voice was quiet and full of tears due to her heightened emotional state. It had only been a day since they had last talked, but so much had happened in those few short hours. She had so much to tell him.

His eyes crinkled with a smile at her response. "Some days feel longer than others, don't they? I missed you too, Fumino."

Usually this was the part where she asked him about his day and listened raptly to the news about his students and how he lived his life when he was away from her. She loved listening to him discuss his daily life, it helped her remain close to him and feel like she was actually part of things. Today though… today she needed to talk about what was going on in _her_ life.

"Sensei… I- I have a lot to tell you tonight. D-do you have time to talk about our future?" Her voice was shaking with nerves and she found she couldn't look at his face in the screen. Hands began twisting in her shirt again, wrinkling the soft fabric.

"I'll make time." His voice was gentle, even through the tinny speakers. "It sounds like you had a busy day, right? Do you want to start from the beginning?"

She nodded and took a deep breath, forcing herself to look at the video feed. It was hard to do so when she had news like this weighing on her, but it was even worse losing this precious time she had with him. Even if their talk went badly, she needed to see the expressions on his face. It was why she had decided to tell him now, instead of writing it all down in an email for him to read when he had free time. Now she just needed to open her mouth and tell him.

"This morning I went for a job interview at Kumaneko High. I'm not sure if I told you that they have a few openings for this coming semester, but when I went in for the interview, they not only offered me a job… but they offered one to you too."

Silence filled the long miles between them as she waited for him to respond. Honestly, she had been in shock when the headmaster offered to hire both of them for the coming year. It had been like a dream come true, just the thought that she could not only have her husband back home where he belonged, but also teaching at the same school! She couldn't stop herself from imagining spending their lunch breaks together, arguing over their classes during sports festivals and cultural festivals. It was all more than she could have ever hoped for when deciding to become a teacher.

When the silence continued to grow, Fumino checked to see if the feed had terminated. Convinced that it hadn't, she looked at her husband's face again, trying to judge his emotional state. She couldn't quite tell if he was shocked by her announcement or emotionless. "Do you not want to go back to teaching at Kumaneko High?"

"Fumino, sweetheart, that's not it!" He finally said, the words coming out in a strangled voice. "I talked to my father a few months ago and he's still not willing to lift the ban on a transfer. You know that I want to be back home with you and Teppei, but I don't have much choice in the matter yet. I'm not sure what I can do to convince him that I won't be an embarrassment!"

Her stomach lurched and she brought her hand to her mouth to hold back the bile that was rising in her throat. Somehow, she had known that just a job offer wouldn't be enough to get him to come home. She had to keep herself calm or she would never get through the next thing she needed to say. If this didn't change his father's mind, she didn't know what would.

"Kazuma… there's more."

"Are they offering me a raise?" He was half joking, but she could tell he knew that wasn't the case. Of course, he would never guess what the truth was.

She ignored the joke and took another deep breath. "I'm pregnant."

His eyes grew wide behind his glasses and then he leaned toward the webcam so quickly that his glasses fell down his nose. "You're… are you _really_?"

"After the interview I was feeling sick, so I dropped by the doctor before going to pick up Teppei from school. I thought they would tell me it was the flu and give me some medicine but…" She trailed off, feeling the heat in her cheeks again. Even though they had been married for almost four years now, they had never gotten to spend more than a week together at a time. It made it difficult for her to get used to their physical relationship, and she still felt shy when it came to intimacy. To actually _be_ pregnant… it seemed impossible. Didn't other couples try for years sometimes without that happening? How could they, who had barely been together at all, have conceived a child?

"How far along are you?" He asked, his voice growing excited. She stared at him for a long moment, and then he laughed and wiped his hand across his face. "Right, sorry. I'm not thinking clearly, am I? It had to be Christmas Eve."

The blush got worse, burning from her chest all the way to her cheeks at the reminder of the last night they had been intimate. "The doctor said I'm due at the end of October." She hesitated then, trying to find the strength to say the words that had been weighing so heavily on her all afternoon. "If you can't transfer back this year, will you be able to at least come home when the baby's born? I don't want to do this without you…"

A shadow passed over his face at her words, a darkness obscuring his smile for just a moment. She opened her mouth to ask him about it, but he cut her off. "Sweetheart, I just remembered that there's something I need to do tonight. Why don't you take a bath and get some rest? I'll call you before I go to sleep, all right?"

Desperation clawed at her insides as she realized the conversation was coming to an end already. They hadn't even been talking for ten minutes! "Kazuma! Wait!"

His eyes softened behind his glasses and he gave her the tender smile that had always been reserved just for her. "Trust me, okay?" The words were soft and gentle, filled with the love he had always given her in abundance. She couldn't say she wasn't scared at his sudden insistence that he had something else to do, but she _did_ trust him. She always had.

"You're happy about the baby… right?" Just one little reassurance was all she needed.

"I haven't been this happy since our wedding day," he promised. "I love you, Fumino. I'll call you in an hour or so."

"I love you too," she whispered, brushing her fingers over his face on the screen. "Think about coming home for the birth, will you?"

Pain slashed across his handsome face, but he managed to nod. "I'll do everything in my power to make that happen."

They said their goodbyes and then the video feed went dead.

"Buncha?"

Fumino turned to see Teppei standing in the doorway, a look of concern in his eyes. "Hey, buddy," she said with a smile, opening her arms out to him. He rushed into the room and let her cuddle him, even though he was ten and often reminded her he was getting too big for this kind of thing.

"Is Ma-kun going to take the job at the high school? Is he coming home?"

Such an innocent question, but it broke her heart. Tears spilled down her cheeks and she tried to hide them by burying her face in his soft hair. "I don't think so, Teppei. Father-in-law still hasn't forgiven us for what we did. I'm not sure if he ever will."

She had promised to wait for her beloved Sensei for as long as it took, but every time he came home, it got harder and harder to say goodbye again. Now that she was pregnant it was even harder. Could she really do this alone? Wasn't it killing him too? How much longer could they continue like this? Why did it have to be this hard?

"He'll come home soon, Buncha. I believe in him," Teppei said fiercely, hugging her tight. "We're gonna be a family again real soon."

Kazuma's words came back to her then: _"_ _Trust me, okay?"_

Honestly, what else could she do?

"Yeah. I'm sure you're right, Teppei. You have to believe in your family, and Sensei has never let us down before." And somehow she believed it.


	2. Confrontation

Kazuma stared at his computer screen for endless moments after the video connection with his wife was severed. Cold fury trailed through his body, seeping into every corner and crevice. His fists clenched and unclenched and he thought about how small and sad her voice sounded when she asked him to _consider_ coming home for the birth of his own child. He had never wanted her to be so uncertain of him, especially not when it came to something this important.

His wife was _pregnant_. He was going to be a _father_. Shouldn't he be twirling her around in circles and talking about the future? If he had been at home, he would have covered her face in kisses until she was blushing his favorite shade of scarlet and begging him to stop. He would have pulled her into his lap and put his hands on her stomach while he whispered words of love and desire into her ear. Hell… just thinking about what he _would have_ done was driving him crazy. He would give anything in the world to be there right now, actually _doing_ those things.

Frustrated and knowing he only had a slim possibility of actually getting what he wanted, Kazuma reached for his phone and dialed his father's number. Honestly, if it came down to it, he was willing to beg. Nothing was more important to him than being there for Fumino during her pregnancy. He was willing to surrender his pride and everything else in order to make that happen.

"Good evening, Kazuma," his father answer the phone drily. "Is it time for our annual conversation already?"

All his plans to be subservient and beg for his father's mercy vanished as soon as he heard the arrogant voice on the other end of the phone. It was a voice that had an edge of humor to it, as if it delighted his father to have so much power over him. He couldn't let this man do whatever he wanted with his life anymore. Not when there was so much at stake now.

"Father," he said in clipped tones, "this year it's not a _request_. I need you to lift the ban on my transfer. I _need_ to go home to Fumino and Teppei."

"Ah yes, Fumino-chan. Emma tells me that she's been doing well with her program and she'll graduate near the top of the class." No hint that his father was planning to relent. This voice clearly stated that he still had Kazuma's fate in his grasp and was amused that his son would _dare_ demand anything from him. Still… it couldn't dampen the swell of pride that he felt when hearing someone else talk about Fumino's accomplishments. Even with their separation, she had pushed herself to do her best in her studies and had even been offered a job at her alma mater upon her graduation. His wife was an amazing woman and he was more aware of that fact than anyone. "Are you sure that being apart isn't what's best for the two of you? She seems to be handling things quite well on her own."

A red mist clouded his vision at his father's words. So that was going to be the old man's argument? Fumino was doing better without him than she would if he were at her side? It wasn't something he could possibly argue against, as he couldn't prove it _wasn't_ true. Part of him even suspected it was. It didn't change the fact that she was his wife, she was pregnant, and he was determined to start this next stage of their life _together_.

He forced himself to take a breath, needing to find some level of calm before he spoke again. No matter what, he had to convince his father to let him go back home. "I belong at her side, Father. As much as you disapprove, Fumino is my wife. You've kept us apart for four years now, _twice_ as long as we lived together before. Don't you think we've been punished enough?"

Silence fell on the other end of the phone and Kazuma cursed himself. He had wanted to do things right this time, to make his father understand how important his family was to him so that he wouldn't have to stay so far away from them. With the way he was handling this conversation now, he would likely have to wait until next year to ask again. That was unacceptable. He was determined to be with Fumino when she gave birth to their child, no matter what he had to do.

He was about to open his mouth to beg, to promise everything and anything in his power, when his father spoke up again. "I noticed that you said the word ' _need_ ' earlier. You've never said it that way before. Every year when you call you make a polite request, but don't push when I refuse. What's different this year?"

Kazuma gripped the phone tight, wishing he didn't have to mar the good news by sharing it with his father, but he didn't have much of a choice. The head of the Ojiro family wouldn't be persuaded without good cause. "Fumino found out this afternoon that she's pregnant."

Whatever his father had expected, this wasn't it. He could heard the deep intake of breath on the other end as the old man processed the news. "I- I'm going to be a grandfather?" The voice was thin, reedy, emotional. It wasn't a voice he had ever heard his father use before.

"I'm not like you," Kazuma said, ignoring his father's emotional response to the news, "I want to raise my child _alongside_ my wife. I want to be a father who's there for my child from the very beginning. I'm begging you to allow me to go home and be the man I want to be… please."

He pinched the bridge of his nose and forced himself to take deep breaths and keep calm while he waited for an answer. If his father said no… he wasn't sure what he would do. He didn't exactly have the power to go against someone with so much political sway. He was just a _teacher_ after all.

"I'll lift the ban on your transfer on one condition."

Had he heard that right? Even if he had, he wasn't going to trust his father for a moment. "What's the condition?"

"Kazuma… this is my very first grandchild. I'd very much like to know them." Now it was his father's turn to beg, and Kazuma had no idea how to handle it. He had never heard his father actually _request_ something in his life. It was as though he was seeing an entirely new side of him, one that he wasn't sure he could understand. But he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth either. If this was what it took for him to get home to his family, he would beat down his anger and pride and take his child to visit from time to time. Getting back home was worth it.

"I'll have to talk to Fumino about it, but I don't think it will be a problem. She's a lot more forgiving than I am," Kazuma admitted with a smile. His darling wife was too soft for her own good, but he loved that about her. He really did.

There was an uncomfortable sort of cough on the other line, and then his father spoke again. "I'll make the necessary calls tomorrow, so you can let your wife know you'll be coming home…" he paused for a long moment and then sighed. "And tell her congratulations from us, if you wouldn't mind?"

"I will. Thank you, Father."

When the line went dead, Kazuma immediately dialed Fumino's number with trembling fingers. It still didn't seem real that he was actually going home. The truth probably wouldn't sink in until he was really home with Fumino and Teppei for good, but it was all right. He would let happiness be a dream until reality finally set in.

"Sensei? Are you done with your work already?" 

His wife's surprised greeting drained all of the tension that remained from the phone call with his father. It was amazing how just hearing her voice was enough to remind him that she was the best choice he ever made in his life. No one could ever make him happier than she did. She and her brother were the great loves of his life, his precious family. He couldn't wait until they were all together again.

"Yeah, it took less time than I thought," he said, a soft smile playing on his lips. "You'll never guess what happened…"


	3. Homecoming

A/N: Sorry for the long delay! I hope to have the next update out as soon as I can get it cleaned up and not feeling so awkward. Hope you enjoy this small scene until then!

As far as vacations went, this one was pretty great. She was sprawled on her side on a white sandy beach, her husband laying next to her, lazily sliding his fingers over the bare skin provided him by her bikini. Fumino shivered, but didn't bat his hand away like she normally would if they were in a public place like a beach. It was so rare that she got to spend time with her husband, even if she was embarrassed, she was going to soak up every bit of attention she could get.

"Are you done putting on the sunscreen?"

"Nope."

Fumino sighed, but didn't argue with him. If he wanted to keep on touching her and pretend that it was because he was putting sunscreen on her back, she wasn't going to fight him on it. But then she felt a tugging sensation and her top fell off, leaving her breasts exposed.

"Hey!" She cried out, blushing furiously as she tried to cover herself back up. "What are you doing, Kazuma?"

His lips began nuzzling the back of her neck as he reached around in front of her to cup her small breasts in his palms. "I'm enjoying my wife," he murmured, as if his actions needed no explanation.

"We're outside!" She hissed, squirming in his arms. "We can't do this kind of thing in front of other people!"

"No one's watching us." More kisses to her neck, then a few love bites that she was sure were going to leave marks. Try as she might, she couldn't seem to stop him…

Fumino groaned as she slipped from sleep into waking. She didn't want to open her eyes, didn't want to get up from her nap and clean anything else. For the past three days she had been scrubbing every surface in the apartment so that it would sparkle when Kazuma came home. Between the pregnancy and exhausting herself with cleaning, the late afternoon nap had been necessary. She just hadn't expected to have _that_ kind of dream.

Sighing, she let her mind drift for a moment. She wasn't quite ready to get out of bed yet, and in all honesty, she wanted to hold onto the warm sensations from her dream for a few more minutes. It had been so long since he had actually touched her that way, she couldn't help but want to indulge herself for a little while longer.

Though it was strange… the touch from her dreams still felt so real.

"Are you finally awake?" Her husband's low, sensual voice was right in her ear. Just like in her dream, his hand was under her thin sweater, cupping her breast.

Did that mean it hadn't been a dream at all?!

She tried to roll and face him, but he kept her still while his hand traced her curves as if trying to recommit them to memory. With a sigh that was half enjoyment and half defeat, she asked him: "When did you get home?"

He kissed the back of her neck, forcing another sigh from her. "About ten minutes ago. I said hello to Teppei before he ran out to play with Shouto-kun, and then when I saw you sleeping, I couldn't resist lying down beside you."

"Are… are you really back?" The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them, her loneliness for the past four years so overwhelming that it was impossible to really believe they were a family again for good.

His grip on her loosened and he rolled her over so they were face to face, his hand moving to cup her cheek so he could look into her eyes. It had been three months since she had last been in his arms and she could hardly accept the reality of it. Having him there in the room with her was every wish her heart had ever made come true.

For endless moments she just stared into his face, taking in the curve of his jaw, his beautiful dark eyes, the lips she loved to kiss. It was really him. Her husband was next to her, touching her! She could breathe in his familiar scent and stroke his skin.

The tears came before she could stop them.

"You're really home!" She sobbed, burying her face in his shirt. "I can't believe you're here."

"I'm home," he whispered into her hair, holding her tight against his chest, "and I'm never leaving you again. Never."

"Promise?" She asked, her breath hitching with her tears.

"I'll never give you a reason to doubt me again."

That was good enough for her. They could finally start living as husband and wife again. For real this time. Her long awaited dream was finally come true.


	4. First Day

**A/N:** For my Shannon, to celebrate the new step in her life!

Fumino fidgeted nervously on her seat as she stared out at all the students gathered together for the entrance ceremony. Because she and Kazuma were new teachers this semester, they were going to be publicly introduced to the staff and students, and then they each had to say a few words. Even though she was only an assistant homeroom teacher this year (due to her pregnancy), she couldn't help but feel as though she were stepping out into empty space without a safety net to catch her. It was absolutely terrifying.

"You're going to do fine," Kazuma whispered to her, sliding his hand over hers and giving it a gentle squeeze. "Just take a deep breath and introduce yourself. Everyone is going to love you."

"Says the guy who panicked when he had to give _his_ first introduction speech," she muttered back, not feeling the least bit reassured.

Her husband chuckled and squeezed her hand once more before releasing it. Somehow though, his laugh was enough to bolster her up. He knew from experience how nerve wracking it was to introduce yourself as a teacher for the first time, and his laugh said that it was okay to be nervous. She just wished she had her younger self to smile and toss her a piece of candy to cheer her up, like she had done for him.

"This year we would like to introduce two new teachers to our staff. Ojiro Kazuma and Ojiro Fumino. Kazuma sensei is coming back to us after teaching abroad for four years, and Fumino sensei is joining us for her first year of teaching after having been a student herself here several years ago. We welcome them both to Kumaneko High School and hope that their tenure with us will be a long and happy one. After we hear a few words from them, we will move onto the beginning of the year speeches from each class's representative."

After the principal introduced them, he made his way back to his seat, grinning broadly at both her and Kazuma as the student body clapped politely. She couldn't help but feel like the floor was about to give way underneath her.

"Good morning students," Kazuma began, taking his place at the podium. "As the principal said in my introduction, I am Ojiro Kazuma. This year will be my eighth year of teaching, and my fourth here at Kumaneko High School. I recently returned to Japan after teaching at a high school on a southern island for several years. While it was a good experience, I'm very grateful to be back in Japan and back at the school where I truly feel like I belong. I'm looking forward to being the homeroom teacher for class 1-B, and I'm even more looking forward to teaching alongside my beautiful wife, Fumino. I hope that you will all take care of us in the coming school year. Let's work hard together!"

Fumino couldn't stop the flush that crept across her cheeks when he mentioned her in his speech. She hadn't expected that, though the whispers of the students after he finished wasn't surprising at all. There were bound to be those perceptive students among them that realized he had been gone for four years, that she had been in university for those same four years, and that he had been a teacher while she had been a student here at this school. While she would never regret the chain of events that had led to them falling in love and marrying, she couldn't deny that she also felt a little nervous facing a room full of people who may judge those events without truly understanding them or the reasons behind them.

Forcing a smile onto her face, she stood up as soon as her husband had taken his seat and made her way to the podium. Gripping the sides with white knuckled fingers, she looked out over the student body that was still whispering quietly among themselves. "Good morning everyone, I'm Ojiro Fumino. Starting today, I'll be the assistant homeroom teacher for class 3-C. This is my first year teaching after graduating from Yamaneko Foreign Language University a few weeks ago with a degree specializing in teaching English. I'm really looking forward to teaching here at Kumaneko, as I have very fond memories of being a student here. I hope that as a teacher, I can live up to all those who taught me and continue the tradition of making Kumaneko High School an enjoyable place to learn. Please, take care of me this coming year."

Her stomach rolled as she turned back to her seat, but she forced herself to stay calm. The bouts of morning sickness had lessened lately, but they weren't gone entirely. If she could just hold out until the ending of the entrance ceremony…

* * *

It turned out that she _couldn't_ hold out at all.

Fumino lay on one of the familiar beds in the infirmary, a cool towel on her forehead, and Kazuma's hand holding hers tightly. She groaned, embarrassed that she had run out of the assembly, only to throw up in a trash can in the hallway. Even though the infirmary had only been a few doors away, she hadn't been able to make it that far.

So much for being over the worst of her morning sickness.

"It's not that bad, love. You're pregnant, it's to be expected." Kazuma squeezed her hand, attempting to soothe her embarrassment over what had happened.

"This isn't the way I wanted to be introduced to the students," she moaned, her face flushing as she remembered the titters of laughter as she had bolted from her chair and out of the gymnasium. Would she ever be able to live that down?

"Well, at least all we have today is homeroom and an introduction to our classes. We can go home in a few hours and I'll help you forget all about it." He was grinning down at her, his eyes warm with mirth and something steamier.

It didn't take a genius to understand exactly what he was planning to do in helping her forget. From the moment he had come home last week, it seemed to be the only thing on his mind. Not that she could blame him. Being separated for so many years had intensified her craving for him as well.

"Teppei will be home," she reminded him, feeling a little disappointed even as she did so. Trying to find time to be alone together with a ten year old around was more difficult than she had anticipated. When her brother had been younger, it was easy to find moments to be together after he had gone to bed. Now, the slightest noise woke him up and alerted him to what they were trying to do. It was a miracle she had even gotten pregnant at all.

Kazuma leaned close and whispered in her ear, his voice a sensual purr. "We'll practice being quiet."

The only sound she could make was a soft, wanting whimper.

Was the day over yet?


End file.
